Australian national food plan

Australia is seeking Chinese investment to develop farming land in its sprawling north in a joint bid to boost food security for the Asian giant's 1.3 billion citizens, according to reports.
Canberra and Beijing launched the study last May and its findings were due to be released within weeks, according to the newspaper.
Australian Trade Minister Craig Emerson stressed that it would not involve "selling up" valuable national resources, nor "importing overseas labour and dedicating the production to Chinese consumption".
"It is designed to lift Australian food production for world markets," Emerson said from Beijing.
Chinese investment is a sensitive issue in Australia, with telecom Huawei banned for security reasons from bidding on the nation's broadband rollout earlier this year and several mining takeovers failing on similar grounds.
Rural conservative politicians have warned against selling valuable agricultural land to foreign investors, particularly China which is … [Read more...] about Australia and China eye joint farming plan

Food safety inspections increase for New Year holiday
The Viet Nam Food Administration (VAF) has called for more inspections to ensure food safety nationwide as Tet approaches.
"From now to the end of March, inter-ministerial inspection teams will visit food production and trading units of all levels, especially in big cities with high consumption and food processing villages and at border gates," said VAF deputy director Nguyen Thanh Phong.
Authorities will also focus on producers and distributors of goods that will be in particular demand during Tet, such as wine and beer, eggs, milk and fresh meat.
"The number of units to be inspected will increase by 10 per cent from the same period last year in the hope that we can reduce the number of food poisoning cases during Tet," Phong said. "Communication campaigns will disseminate information and regulations on food hygiene and safety, especially knowledge about food selection, preservation and cooking."
Wetness in the north and … [Read more...] about Food safety inspections increase in VN for New Year holiday

The Formosa Plastics Group submitted a series of "unprecedented" requests for special treatment in the wake of Vietnam's anti-China riots, leaving the government caught between a rock and a hard place At an inconvenient juncture for both sides, the Vietnamese government has rejected a controversial request from Taiwan's Formosa Plastics Group for its own special economic zone in a north-central province where the site of its future steel plant was beset by a deadly anti-China riot two months ago. Vietnam's current regulations do not allow such special treatment for foreign investors so "the government will not approve this proposal", Nguyen Van Nen, Minister and Chairman of the Government Office, said during a press briefing Tuesday. The rejection came at a time when the government is making great strides in restoring foreign investor confidence after riots shut down three industrial parks in mid-May. China's deployment of a giant US$-1billion oil rig into Vietnamese waters on May 2 … [Read more...] about Vietnam refuses Taiwanese steel firm’s hardball compensation proposal amid rising national security concerns

told the nation that the 'age of entitlement' had ended with the 2014 federal budget in May, unemployed Australians were given a glimmer of forewarning that benefits - known as the dole here - would become tighter. Just how tight they will be has been revealed Monday.
One of the most significant welfare measures announced in the federal budget is the expansion of Work for the Dole - essentially a program where unemployed must prove job-seeking to access any payments.
In what will have come as something of a shock to job-seeking Australians - as well as the financially vulnerable - the Work for the Dole program is imposing tough new measures that are certain to cause pain in the lower socio-economic bracket here.
Welfare organizations and left-leaning political groups are reeling after the announcement on Monday that those on benefits will be forced to prove 40 job searches every month while concurrently working for up to 25 hours a week of community work.
The radical extension of … [Read more...] about Australian unemployed wake up to tough new measures

PANO - Various outstanding alumni of Australian universities and colleges who have made major contributions to Vietnam in fields such as education, arts and culture, innovation and research, business, and sustainable social development have been honored in a ceremony hosted by the Australian Embassy in Hanoi and the Vietnamese Graduates from Australian Club (VGAC).
Addressing the ceremony, the 2011 Australian Alumni Awards, held on Nov. 11th, HE Mr. Allaster Cox, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam, said "the Alumni Awards celebrate the achievements of Vietnamese alumni of Australian universities and colleges and encourage them to contribute more to Vietnam's economy and society. Their education in Australia has played a significant role in their personal and professional development. The award recipients, and so many other talented alumni, are a testament to the benefits of studying in Australia."
Dr Vo Tri Thanh, an Australian National University alumnus, won the Special Award for … [Read more...] about 2011 Australian alumni awards-winners honored